My First Review: Keen Newport H2

Ignore the horizon, I'm really free-climbing.

I never write reviews. I don't know why, but the length of the review below is probably a pretty good reason. Who wants to read anything that long, just to see if you like a shoe, or a backpack. Anyways, I recently received a request from Zappos, and I thought, "Why not?"



I'd recently bought a pair of the Keen Newport H2s, just before a trip to the mountains. It was a pretty adventurous trip, and the shoes seemed to be front and center. I'll probably devote a blog or two down the road to talking about the entire trip, but for now, check out my review.

In short, these are the most comfortable water/hiking/all-weather sandal I have ever owned. The fit was true for me, as I wear a 10.5/11, and these were right in line with that. I also have an almost, just nearly "wide" foot, and these fit perfectly. These things weren't for casual urban exploring though. I put these to the test. Read on down for a full synopsis.

Basically, probably, just like you who is reading this review, I took a chance on these sandals. I had bought something similar almost a summer ago. My family was going whitewater kayaking, and I needed something that would work as a shoe, and provide better support than water socks - the Kayak trip ended with a half-mile hike up out of a gorge. (Green River Adventure - Great group of guys/gals -try it if you are ever near Saluda or Asheville, NC… I digress.)

Whatever I bought then, I think they were Tevas, but honestly I can't remember, were nearly identical in design.They were about a third of the cost, but that really shouldn't make a huge difference. However, on a trip that was mostly just my legs moving about in the kayak, my heels were blistered before we even made the hike. By the time the hike was over, I was bleeding noticeably.

Now, I'm a runner, and I'm used to foot pain. I keep my family disgusted several times a year with at least a couple black nails that eventually fall off. Blisters, as well as bleeding feet, are just part of it. However, that day with the other sandals, made the rest of the trip, wearing anything but flip-flops, miserable.

Fast forward a year, and I knew we were getting ready to leave for another summer trip that would have kayaking, lots of hiking, and plenty of water crossings. Again, not wanting the slip-on style water shoes, or to go the Vibram, toe-shoe route, I started some research, convinced there just may be a sandal out there for me. The glowing reviews of this particular sandal from Keen really impressed me, and I pulled the trigger.

When they arrived, I knew these were going to be great. In the back, the part that had given me trouble before, was a very soft neoprene, and hugged my heal nicely. They also had a spongy yet supportive feel inside with was nice. The rubber wasn't hard, but cradled my foot nicely. But, that's walking around the house, how did they perform in the real, outdoor world? Well, here are a couple of impromptu and unplanned tests, during a trip to the northeastern Georgia mountains - mind you a tropic weather pattern had it raining for seven days straight.


The first test happened during a quick sidetrack trip up to Brasstown Bald, Georgia's tallest mountain. There is a  paved trail, about three quarters of a mile up, for a mile and a half round trip. It's a smooth trail but it's steep. Going up, I had the support and comfort one would expect from a hiking shoe. Even with the moist air, my foot stayed well positioned. On the trip down, note on a trail which already seemed slick on the way up, me and a few of the younger guys on the trip decided to run down the trail. While these weren't the Brooks Ghosts I prefer, they did amazingly well. The grip was excellent. Even working around trail traffic, when I reached the bottom of the mountain, my body felt like I'd been running on nice pads of foam. No blisters, no rubbing… perfect.

Next up was a waterlogged day in Chatahoochee National Forest. Well-graveled forest roads were nearly washed out completely in some places and I had to get out of our little CRV to test water crossings. While the shoes did seem to sling a bit of mud, they held tight, even in rushing water. A little bit later, when nature was calling, I decided to take an old trail back to some falls and try to snap a few quick pics with my phone. With the rain starting to pour, I got a strange feeling, a little bit like I wasn't alone, and in fact, I wasn't. Something I had mistaken for a far-off jet was actually faint huffing by an adolescent black bear, which came tearing across the trail. He was heading in the opposite direction, so I used the opportunity to turn, and make a quarter-mile sprint back to the car.

The trail was waterlogged, and there were numerous roots, rocks, a small tree bridge, and near every inch seemed covered with slippery Georgia clay. I anticipated biting it hard around every turn, but each time my foot planted, it was confident and stable. Inside the shoe, my feet felt wrapped like a sock. It would be a collapsed lung, or a pulled hamstring, that did me in before losing it in these shoes. Again, they'd kicked up quite a bit of dirt on to my shorts, but I'm well outside the scope of the product at this point. The main idea here, these things stick to your feet and will cradle them, even in the most intense of exits.

Over the rest of the trip, I'd continue to put these shoes to the test. Kayaking again, Tubing down a river running twice it's normal speed, spelunking an abandoned gold mine, and even tree-platform, zip lining. Whatever it was, I always felt confident in these things, and I'm a fan for life. Despite the shoe's ability to take on any sand you may be walking through at the time, I've not had a single issue, and that minor complaint isn't worth lowering a score, because it's easily remedied with a quick dip in the water.

Bottom line: If you are active, do hiking or other activities where water comes into play, and you want something that will grip, this is the shoe for you. I won't guarantee you'll outrun that grizzly, but if you're going to have any chance at all, let's hope you're wearing these.